Blog Post #13

ALEX also known as the Alabama Learning Exchange is an extremely informative website for teachers, administrators, students and parents. Until this assignment, I was unaware that there was an initiative to incorporate technology into the classroom in Alabama. This website, allows for educators around the state to collaborate and share lesson plans, thoughts and initiatives within their classroom that are successful. I found numerous lesson plans, a tremendous number of links and the blog page to be very useful. There is even a personal work page in which you can customize and share your thoughts and ideas. It is a very well-organized website that will introduce you to advancements being made within the state to enhance the education process through the use of technology.

Within the website, it includes information for teaching ages k-12. It includes specific subjects and within those subjects, you can find related lesson plans and links to useful web sites. It will also give you information in regard to the standards that are required on each subject and each level. It appears to be a well developed website that would be useful to all teachers. It does appear also that it needs more contributors in each subject. Maybe it hasn't been promoted within the schools but i am sure as time goes on, it will continue to develop and progress to be an even better tool for teachers within the state of Alabama.

In addition to the course help, it has many links for professional development through Alexville. Although I could not access these sites, since they require registration and passwords, I think that these would be useful in our professional development as a teacher. The field of education is developing and changing at record pace and any information that would be available to help with your personal development and advancement is always a plus.

I found the Access Distance Learning Website to be equally impressive if not more so. In fact, even though this has been in existence since 2004, I had not heard of it before. Again, this could be because I am not yet an educator, and have just now returned to school to study this field but I would think that more promotion of these programs is in order. This is a tremendous program that has been recognized nationally for the strides it is making in the areas of improvements in test scores and graduation rates. I had no idea these initiatives had been established and think they are most definitely a move in the right direction for Alabama. The variety of classes is all inclusive on the high school level and according to their goals for the next 5 years, they hope to expand to the middle school level as well.

I think this is a great resource for students that are independent learners and are self motivated. It allows for a personalized plan in which they advance at their own pace and chose the enhanced courses that interest them. In today's technological world, I think this is a great option for our high school students. It allows them to have access to many subjects that they may not otherwise be exposed to within the walls of their school. It can only help to prepare the students for the ever changing world in which they are a part of!

I think that both sites should be a part of any teacher's PLN. Both allow access to knowledge that can be used within the classroom. Both are a great resource for subject specific data and professional development. I know I will refer to both as I further my education in hopes of becoming an educator in Mobile's school system.

C4K - April Posts

C4K#8

I was assigned to view the blog page of Ms Thompson's 6/7 year students in Adelaide, Australia. Her blog contains a video for "Rocking Around the Clock" that the class performed. Charlotte T's blog was my assigned student. Her post was in reference to the performance.

Here is the comment that I left for her:

WOW! What a great performance!

My name is Lisa May and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile Alabama in the United States. I am studying to be a teacher and taking a course on technology and was asked to look at your blog page. I read your post about the performance and had to watch it! It looks like so much fun! I love that song, it just makes you want to smile and dance!

You are so lucky to have a teacher that is encouraging you to use technology in your education. Take advantage of it and learn all you can! I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future. If you would like to visit my blog just click on the link. I would love for you to visit! Good luck with school and have fun on your trip to Hong Kong!


C4K#7

I was assigned to watch the talent show section of Mr. McClung's world. Aren't these students amazing! Take a look at his website,here he is doing some great things!

Below is the comment I left for the video- student performs a Weezer song:

Hi! My name is Lisa May and I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I was assigned the video - 8th grader sings a Weezer song under the talent show heading. He is very talented on the guitar as well as his vocals! Talent shows always amaze me! I love watching them and am impressed by the talent and courage of the students that perform in front of their peers. I was always to shy and never really had any marketable talents to participate but definitely admired those who did!
I have enjoyed exploring your website and am very impressed by all the things you and your students are doing! I am very new to all of this technology and am continually amazed at all that is being done and the capabilities of the students! I look forward to the day that I have a classroom and can incorporate some of these things into my classroom!
My blog is not as extensive as your classes but I would love for you to visit and make any comments you can. I look forward to following your blog and to learning more great things!

C4K#9

Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog is exceptional! I have been clicking and reading and viewing for well over 2 hours now! I think that the organization is very easy to follow, even for a newcomer to technology like me. I really enjoyed the headers across the top that introduce her, the kids, how to comment, etc. These were extremely informative and helpful. As I was watching and reading, my 12 year old came into the room and he too was amazed that this was a 3rd grade blog. It sparked a great conversation about blogging and its usefulness in both the classroom and for the family. Their school does not use blogging but maybe I will suggest it to the teachers as a possibility for next year!

I really liked the links that she provided in the section about herself. I watched the presentation that she gave on Tech Talk Tuesday. This was an extremely informative video as well as an interesting link that I plan to add to my PLN. It is a site where educators from around the world can collaborate and share ideas about technology and teaching. I think this is so important because we should never stop learning and other teachers can be the best source for help! Here is the link - watch it if you get a chance!Teaching,Commenting and Encouraging Parent Participation

I also liked the video on how to leave a comment. This would be extremely helpful to anyone that is new to blogging. It really makes you think about the importance of what you say and how you say it!

The other thing that I really liked about her blog was the request for parental and family involvement. The questions that are asked in relation to each post really make you want to comment so you can add something to the class. I think these comments are probably as important as the actual blog because it will spark additional conversation within the classroom and the students are learning so much about different cultures, different backgrounds and how things have changed through the generations. And, in addition to all the excellent information that the students are being exposed to, they are learning about writing, grammar, spelling and punctuation! What a fun way to teach the basics of English class. Much more interesting than the way I learned it!

To sum it up, all I can say is that I wish more teachers were using classroom blogs like Mrs. Yollis. It is a tremendous educational tool for the students and the parents! I plan to have a class blog when I get into my own classroom!

C4K #10

I was assigned to comment on Adia's Babble Blog what an amazing 3rd grader! Her writing skills are tremendous! You can definitely see how blogging has had a positive impact. Her close attention to detail and description is exceptional! If I didn't know she was in the third grade, I would have thought her to be much older. The post I commented on was about her Girl Scout meeting in which they discussed Japanese culture. There were great pictures and very interesting facts. And the questions she posts at the end are perfect for inspiring comments. I hope that as teacher, I will be able to inspire my students as Ms. Yollis has to be such good writers and such good students!

Special Assignment Mr. McClung's World

After reviewing Mr. McClung's World, I was extremely impressed with his organization, forward thinking, teaching style and motivation. He seems to be willing to try educational techniques that are a little "outside the box" but I feel are effective in his classroom. I explored the tabs across the top, reading Mr. McClung's bio in which he seems to be a very interesting man. Both an exceptional educator and interesting person. It really appears that his students like him,enjoy his teaching style and are flourishing in this learning environment.

His rules are very explicit and straight forward. They are simple and easy to follow. Follow directions, stay in your seat, raise your hand for permission, make good choices and keep the teacher happy! I think as educators we sometimes think that things need to be complicated, that there needs to be long sets of instruction. But I think that what we will find, as Mr. McClung seems to have found, is that the simpler the better. Don't overwhelm them, just tell them what you expect! Children like boundaries so there needs to be guidelines but they have to have freedom to develop creativity and to learn.

Mr. McClung requires each of his students to have a day planner. I would assume that this is for them to learn organization skills that they will use not just in school but in real life. That is a lesson that we are never to young to learn and to use! If it is important write it down so that it doesn't get overlooked or forgotten. Being on time for assignments, meetings, projects, etc is extremely important and organization and time management contribute heavily to these. If the planner is used as it should be, and assignments are tracked, I am sure that they are done in a timely manner. His penalties for late homework are not unreasonable. They are similar to the penalties I incurred as a grade school and high school student. They do not seem too tough and the students in eighth grade are able to understand the consequences of bad decisions, including not doing work or assignments.

When reviewing Mr. McClung's World for the last assignment, I watched a video. I chose to look in April posts to find a post to review this time. I chose, Using Kagan Strategies – Circle the Sage post on 04/14. In this post he explains this technique of teaching. I think it is a good teaching strategy because it involves the students and lets them teach their peers. There is a video of the process in a future post as well on April 17. The students seem to have enjoyed it and it appeared to be a success. I think sometimes it is easier to learn something from a peer than it is to learn from the teacher. It somehow makes it more interesting and easier to remember when you hear it from someone else. I would be interested to see what Mr. McClung thought of the lesson and if he plans to continue using this style in his classroom.

Mr. McClung includes many useful links on his web page. The two I chose to explore wereDiscovery Education and The Scholastic Story Starter. Both are very educational and offer numerous resources for teachers, students and parents. I plan to list both on my personal PLN. They contain lesson plans, links to ideas for presenting subject matter, communication with other educators and great activities for the students. They are both applicable for all ages so which level you teach you will be able to find age appropriate material. The Scholastic site was highlighting the Story Teller page. It is a slot machine type game that gives suggestions for storytelling. It could be used to spark the imagination for individual stories or a collaborative group project. Either way, it would definitely ignite the creativity in the students to continue the story! I imagine these sites were included because of their usefulness and overall appeal to all involved in the education process. I know that I will use them when I have my classroom.

In regard to the host EduBlog, I did find the layout very useful. It seems to be well organized and easy to follow and find information. I really like the headers across the top. They help to navigate through the site more effectively. The only classroom blog that I have seen on Blogger is the EDM310 site and it seems to be just as easy to navigate. I have not found anything that would make me chose one over the other. They seem to be equal as far as I am concerned. In addition, I have not reviewed any other 8th grade blogs. Most that I have reviewed are of younger grades. So, Mr. McClung's blog is more advanced than some that I have reviewed but I suspect that is because his students are a little more advanced and warrant a more complex site. Overall, his site is one of the best that I have reviewed. He has so much information available through his posts, the student posts and the links. There isn't anything that he left out that I can see. I hope that when I have a classroom blog, it will be as comprehensive and as useful as his!

Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's first graders were unbelievable! How great is it that they are being exposed to this amount of technology at such an early age? They are so inquisitive at that age and what better way to teach them than through a medium that that have only seen as entertainment before. All children love to see themselves on video so why not use it in the classroom to reiterate lessons that are being taught. The students take pride in what they are doing which sparks them to want to learn more and do more. And, isn't that our job as educators, to spark their interest to learn and to ignite that passion for education within our students?

Ms. Cassidy has found many techniques for the use of technology in her classroom. Just in that short video, use see students learning math, english and reading. When they can publish what they know through videos or blogs that are going to be seen by the entire world, it not only teaches them the facts but develops their self-confidence, their ability to work with others, their writing skills, and the list goes on and on. What could possibly be negative about it? I really like what she is doing and I hope that in the future, we see this as a standard in all classrooms!

I also liked her comments in the Skype interview about the safety of the children and internet use. I thought the idea of sending home a letter for permission on the first day of school was a great idea. It immediately lets the parents know what their children will be doing and that their safety is the number one priority. I also like the statement that she made that our job as educators is to teach them how to use the internet. Sure there are negative things out there but I would think that it is not a common circumstance that the children go looking for it. I am sure there is some curiosity but our job is to teach them to be responsible internet citizens as she stated. I think that is probably one of the best lessons that we can teach them!

I hope that when EDM310 is over, I will continue to learn about technology and it's potential uses in education. I hope to use blogs, videos, etc. once I have my own classroom. I have seen through Ms. Cassidy's interview and video that the students are never too young to begin using technology. They will improve their writing skills, communication skills and resourcefulness. And, it is all taught to them in such a way that it is fun and exciting! I know that whenever things are changing such as the way we teach, there will be some resistance. I think that Ms. Cassidy has the best approach by doing what she is doing in her classroom, and finding support where she can and understanding that there are varying views out there. As she stated technology is here to stay so why not start using it! I know that technology is ever changing and I hope that I can have the dedication and support to continually learn so that I will be able to prepare my students for their place in the world!

Blog Post #12

I came across this video on Youtube - Do You Teach or Do You Educate? I think a blog assignment in relation to this movie could be beneficial to all education majors.

The blog assignment would read something like this:

Watch the video, Do You Teach or Do You Educate. Think about why you became an education major. Write two paragraphs stating how you intend to educate rather than just teach.

If this would have been one of our assignments, my blog would have been:



How true is this video! We are called to be educators not just teachers! Our job is to lead the students and to engage them in such a way that we spark their creativity and we guide them to be the best that they can be. All students learn in different ways and if all we are doing is drilling them with facts and forcing our opinion upon them, will they be able to think for themselves when they "grow up"? Will they be able to take what they have learned in my classroom and apply it to real life? Will they know how to use the vast amount of information that is available to them through technology and the internet?

These are just a few of the challenges that we encounter as educators! I look forward to the challenge and hope to have a classroom that is enlightening, nurturing, engaging and successful in influencing the students to always want to learn more. I hope to inspire them to be forever students and to be willing to experiment with new things and to know that every experience is a learning experience. Some lessons will work, others will not but I hope to be an educator that is continually learning and inspiring my students to do the same!

I love the quote from Socrates, "Education is the kindling of a flame - not the filling of a vessel." What a statement and what a responsibility we have as educators! I look forward to the challenge and the responsibility!

Progress Report on Final Project

Thanks to Meghan Simmons, our group has an amazing idea for our final project. We will be meeting this Wednesday to "hash out" the details! If all works as planned, it will be a very useful wiki for educators to use to find funding for incorporating technology into their classroom! I look forward to working on it and developing the idea further!

Blog Post #10

In Morgan Bayda's Blog - An Open Letter to Educators, she presents some very interesting ideas and valid complaints. It is hard to sit through hours of lectures and to decipher that which is important and what needs to be retained for the "test". I have experienced both forms of education now. My previous experiences, before EDM310, consisted only of lectures and memorization. I was okay with it and graduated with my degree because that was all that was available or so I thought! Now that I have been exposed to a more collaborative form of education where there is conversation and creativity involved, I see how much greater things can be! How much more information is actually retained for future use and application when the student participates in the learning process. Any one can memorize a fact and spout it out for a test but can they really apply the process or use the lesson in the future. Have they really learned anything? In today's world, we as teachers need to focus on fostering the creativity and the application of facts not so much the facts. Sure, there has to be a balance and we want our students to "know" certain things but isn't it more important for them to know how to find the facts and use the facts rather than just memorize the facts? I think our challenge as teachers is to find the balance between the old form of education and the new form of education. It is to incorporate technology and be willing to adapt and change as the world continues to adapt and change.

In Dan Brown's video, he too raises some interesting ideas about knowledge and it's cost. Information is free on the internet to those that have access to the internet. So there is still some value to information. I agree that the way we educate must change and I think that it is coming but I don't think dropping out of school is the answer. There does need to be reform and we don't want our students so just conform as they have in the past but quitting won't change it either. Change is a slow process but it is happening! Participating and earning a degree to be able to teach and help with the change would seem to be a more productive way of challenging the system. Don't quit on the system, work within it, challenge it's boundaries and improve it so future generations don't encounter the same frustrations and limitations!

Below is the comment I left for Morgan:


Hi Morgan!

I enjoyed visiting your blog and reading your thoughts on education! I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Having been to school, earning my first degree over 20 years ago, and returning to school this semester, it is unbelievable how things have changed. My first degree was earned under the memorization of facts and professor lectures but this semester has really opened my eyes to a new way of learning! I have truly enjoyed all the technology that I have been exposed to and am impressed by the things that are happening in our schools. Although it may not be widespread yet, I think it is coming! As new teachers graduate and implement that which they have learned, it will change the face of education! We as teachers must be willing to continually learn and change so that our students are not struggling to stay awake in class. We must keep them engaged and interested so that their creativity is sparked and their enthusiasm developed for greatness!

While reading the articleDon't Let Them Take The Pencils Home, it made me think about how is easy it must be as a teacher to get wrapped up in the results of our teaching through the use of test scores. Unfortunately, our society and our education system want to put a measurement on everything and when the numbers are not what they want or expect, they want to find someone or something to blame. Like blaming the use of pencils to play with as the reason for low test scores! How crazy does that sound? Maybe as many of the students said in their comments about the article, as educators, we need to focus on the solution not the problem. Maybe we need to ask why the students aren't performing, I would guess that it has more to do with the style of teaching than the use of pencils to play hangman. I realize that a positive environment has an impact on education and that parental support is extremely important but if those things are not there, what can we as educators do to break that cycle. What kind of impact can we have on our students so that they grow to be concerned parents that foster the importance of education in their children. If we engage these students by their involvement in their education and show them the possibilities that are available to them through technology and creativity, we can change their world and thus the world around us. We must keep our eye on the big picture and not get bogged own with the details that can discourage us and make us lose sight of the ultimate goal, well educated productive, creative, contributing members of society!

Below is the comment that I left on the Mr. Spencer's blog page:

Hi! My name is Lisa May and I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class. I read your blog as part of our weekly assignment. I found it very interesting! I will be following it in the future. I liked the storytelling style. When reading the conversation, it is so easy to see the sarcasm and the ridiculousness of the situation. Could "pencils" really have an impact on test scores? Who cares what they are writing/playing with them at least they are using them! Our job as educators should be to foster such a level of creativity and learning that it carries over into the after school life. I know we can't be involved in every aspect of our students lives but if we show them hope, concern and genuine possibility of an amazing future through creativity and education, we have done our job! The test scores are not the only measurement of our success as teachers!

C4T #2

Lucacept - Intercepting the Web





Hi!
My name is Lisa May and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class. I was assigned your blog to review for my comments for teachers assignment this month. I love looking at these blogs and seeing the many interesting things that the teachers are doing and the tools they are using in their classrooms!

That video was amazing! It is hard to believe how gullible that people can be! We are often moving so fast through life that we don’t take the time to actually “see” the things that are going on around us. It would be interesting to have talked to some of those people that received the kings autograph. Do you think they ever realized that it was an actor? Do you think that they will think and question the next “exhibit” they see? I bet if the visitors to the museum that day had been children, they would have questioned it. Children aren’t as afraid as adults to ask questions. They are very inquisitive whereas adults often just take it as truth and move on. This is just another reminder that we need to slow down, “see” the world around us and learn from it!

As an aspiring teacher, I would invite you to visit my blog and make any suggestions or comments. Any insights I can get from those that are using technology in their classrooms would be greatly appreciated!

Comment #2

The most recent post on my assigned teacher blog was about April Fool's! What a fun day! Check out this video on the "new" email from Google!



Here is the comment I left in regard to her blog:

Hi, My name is Lisa May and I am a student in Dr. Strange’s EDM310 class at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. I enjoyed reading about and watching your April 1st post. Isn’t April’s Fools a fun day! Google does have some great videos and pranks! I wonder how many people tried the “new email” out before realizing it was a joke? We live in such a fast pace world, I think sometimes we don’t really “see” what we are watching – which in turn can really make us look like a fool! Thanks for the post and the laugh! We all need to take the time to laugh!
My blog is a work in progress but I invite you to visit and comment! I look forward to reading about your thoughts on the conference you are attending this weekend!

Blog Post #9

"What I've Learned This Year" by Mr. McClung

What an awesome blog! It is true how much we learn over a year's time! Also, with it being the first year in the classroom, things are always so different in "real life." The college classroom full of peers is so different than the classroom full of wide-eyed students! Especially when you are the new teacher, I am sure you are tested by the students, other faculty and administration just to get to know your style and your attitude.

How important it is to stay positive as the quote said! I am sure it is easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated when things don't go as we envision them. But as was stated so well, we are dealing with children and no lesson is ever perfect. We have to be able to watch their reaction and "see" that they are understanding the lesson as we are presenting it and to be able to adapt and change if that is what is needed.

I think all of the suggestions are great but I find the last two "Listen to your students" and "Never stop learning" to be the most important. We have to hear what our students are saying by their words and their actions because as one of the students stated, that is how they know we care. And, since the world is such an ever changing, ever developing fast pace place, it is necessary for us as teachers to be willing to change and learn with it. No one will ever know everything and we must be willing to learn from all sources - even our students!

Skype Interview

For my Skype interview, I chose to interview Paula Naugle a teacher in New Orleans. I had received an invitation from her to visit her classroom after commenting on one of student's blogs through C4Ks in February. She is doing amazing things with technology in her classroom. Take a look at her blog, Paula Naugle's Blog Page It was an awesome interview! I really enjoyed talking to her and I learned so many things! I can't wait to visit her classroom and see the use of technology in action!

C4K - March Posts

C4K #4

Hi Naomi! My name is Lisa May and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the United States. I am studying to be a teacher and was assigned to your blog. I love the picture! I was impressed that you were able to upload the picture and the link. I just learned how to do that in this class! You are so lucky to have a teacher that lets you use this technology in the classroom. I know it makes it so much more interesting!

When I saw the picture of Maria Tutaia, I did a google search to find out who she was. She plays netball for New Zealand. I didn't know what netball was either so I had to search it as well. It seems a lot like basketball. Do you play netball? My two sons are 12 and 10 and they play basketball for their school. Does your school have a netball team? Have you ever been to watch her play? She seems like a good role model from the information I read about her. Why do you like her? Why did you chose to add her picture to your blog?

I would love to hear from you. You can read my blog at http://maylisaedm310.blogspot.com/.

CFK#5

The student I commented on was Ngametua and she is a year 7 student at Point England School. She was blogging about her picnic! Her blog address is Ngametua's Blog Page. Below is the comment I left for her:

My name is Lisa May and I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama in the United States. I loved reading you blog about your picnic. What a fun day at school! We call these days field trips at my children's school. But I don't think they have ever gotten to go swimming on a field trip! You must have great teachers that want you to have fun! I love to be near the water and to play volleyball and softball. This would have been a great day for me too! All the things I like to do!

I am very impressed with your blog! I just learned how to use a blog this year and I am much older than you! You are so lucky to have teachers that are letting you explore technology and use the internet! You can visit my blog at
http://www.maylisaedm310.blogspot.com/. I would love for you to comment on it if you get a chance!

C4K#6

The third blog I was assigned to review was Room 8 at the Melville Int School. They are making a lot of movies there and I was asked to watch one on handball. Here is the link if you'd like to view it.NZ Handball Demo for Denmark They are blogging with a school in Denmark and have learned that things may be named the same but are different in different cultures.

Hi, my name is Lisa May and I too am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class. I really enjoyed watching your video! Isn't it amazing how "handball" can mean so many different things? My son's play "handball" in our driveway. They use a tennis ball and throw it against the wall. They have tried to teach me but I am not very good at it! They are 11 and 12 and like to play it at recess too! Isn't it cool that they like to play the same things even though we live so far away?

The world really is a small place and technology is making it even smaller. Your school s doing a great job of incorporating technology in your education. I hope you are enjoying it and keep developing it as you advance in your education.

Thanks again for sharing your video! It was awesome.

Smartboard Presentation

Blog Post #8

Dr. Richard E. Miller Discusses Writing With Multimedia

I enjoyed watching the video by Dr Miller. I think he discusses many important topics. And I definitely agree with his idea that the way we write and communicate has changed. The fact that we live in a world of immediate communication and collaboration is astounding. It does create an environment of immediate audiences and "listeners" to our ideas and thoughts. You can dream anything, find a creative medium within technology to distribute it on the internet and have feedback in a matter of minutes. This in itself amazes me! What better execution of the rights of freedom of speech!

As teachers, I think it is our responsibility to teach our children to use the freedom responsibly. Because they are exposed to it in many fashions, most of it in a social manner, it is our responsibility to teach them to use their writing skills and media for the good of mankind. They need to use it for the betterment of society. We need to teach them to use it to communicate their ideas and thoughts to a world wide audience.

We also need to learn to use the technology that is available to us for creating these amazing documents and publications. To be able to embed historical speeches into a paper, to be able to see and use real time reports to further support our thoughts, to be able to rally a nation behind an injustice are all things that are capable by the use of technology. I think a book report in the future will be so different from the book reports that I did as a child. It will be not just a summary of the book but a conglomerate of ideas found in the book, opinions of others that can be found on the internet through blogs and the like, or videos or interviews that contain reviews about the book. The possibilities are endless and we as teachers need to explore all these options and expose our students to all of these options so they will be able to use their creativity to communicate their ideas to the world wide audience.

The Chipper Series and EDM310 for Dummies

I watched these videos earlier in the semester but they did not have as much impact as they do now! I completely understand the overwhelmed feeing of the "students"in both videos. Because it is a class that is very independent, it requires a lot of discipline to complete all the work. I thought that it would be a breeze but what I have found is that it is very challenging. I don't know if it is so much the time as it is learning all the new technology. I find myself putting things off because I am unsure how to do it so my first thought for a video would be on the usefulness of the lab and the other resources that are provided by the staff. Another video could be a comparison of the level of confidence of the students at the beginning of the class versus the end of the class. And one last idea would be an instructional video on the PLN and Twitter. I am still having trouble with the composition of the PLN and usefulness of Twitter. I don't have the ability to get twitter on my phone so for me to use it, I have to be at the computer and the timing is just hard. Maybe one on suggestions of how and when to tweet would be useful.


The most important thing that I can say that I have learned from both videos and the first half of the semester is to stop procrastinating! My goal for the second half of the semester is to work steadily each day on the projects rather than waiting until the last minute!



I really enjoyed this video! It really speaks the truth. These are very well known, well educated teachers that are stating that education has to change. One even goes so far as to say that "Education is dead but the door to learning has opened." What a profound statement. We definitely are in the midst of a change in mind set when it comes to education. Memorization of facts is not longer necessary. That information is at your fingertips. It can be accessed at any time. Our job now is to teach them to use the resources to find the information, to process it and to apply it to everyday life. They have to be able to differeniate fact from fiction. They have to be able to recognize opinion from fact also. They have to be able to process all the information that is available to them to formulate their own opinion and produce creative ideas and thoughts. They have to know how to communicate their information. They have to know how to collaborate with their peers to create and develop projects. If we can create this thirst for knowledge within our students imagine the future that they will have ahead of them! Education has to change to teach the changing world around us!

RSA Animate The Secret Powers of Time by Phillip Zambardo and Drive - The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us by David Pink

First, I would like to say that I love the format of these videos. They are very stimulating because you find yourself enthralled with the fast pace of the drawings as well as the fast talk of the speaker. It really holds your attention and makes you pay attention. What great use of technology to insight both the auditory and visual senses.

Aside from the technology, the message in both is very clear and very true. We are a society that lives in the moment - hedonistic present people. We want what is good now. We hate to wait and consider it a waste of our time. We are a society of multi-taskers. But, is that always good? Are we multi-taking for the betterment of our sanity or only to find more time to work. Do we use technology to help us or to hinder us? I found the fact that if given an extra day, most people surveyed said they would use it for work. Why not for family and fiends? I think we can learn from some of the practices of the past - for instance family dinners and family vacations. How much time do we actually spend with our family? We are all so plugged in that even when we are together, are we really together. I have been in a room with a bunch of teenagers and no one is talking but they are all texting. So, I ask, who are you texting? And, they are texting the child sitting right next to them. CRAZY! Why don't they just speak. Are we losing the ability to communicate in person?

I really believe the part of the video in which he says we have to change the way we teach these children. They are not like we were. They do not respond to the way we were taught. They need to be engaged so that they are not left behind. They are aware of the technology - it excites them. It involves them and they can relate to it. As teachers, we have to utilize this so we can communicate with them and encourage them to learn. They need to use technology for more than video games. They need to know what is out there. They need to know that they can use the skills they have from playing video games in their education. They can use those problem solving skills, those creative approaches to be successful in school. We have to foster their desire to learn and help them apply it so they can be successful in life. We need to teach them to be future thinking individuals rather that hedonistic present thinkers.

This brings us to the second video which is directly related to the ideas of time and culture and society. If, as the video says, we were to pay people enough so that money was not an issue, can you imagine the possibilities! If people did things for the enjoyment, for the personal satisfaction, simply for the purpose of leaving their mark on society, can you imagine all that would get done? If we didn't have to worry about the bills, and the mortgage and the car note, all that brain energy and thought could be directed at developing and creating. When the stress of money is removed, it frees up so much time for being productive.

I think everyone has an underlying desire to change the world. I think that we become robots and do as we are told, when we are told and eventually we forget our childhood dreams of changing the world. We become desensitized by the material world, all the things we have to have and think we need. All those things that money can buy. When, if we were to look inside, what we really need and what should drive us can be found in the heart of the children. What we really want and what really drives us to be loved, to be accepted and have a purpose. We all want to do something important and in turn be important to someone. Our job as teachers is to never let that inner desire to have purpose be destroyed in our students. We need to develop their creativity and love for each other and humanity and develop it so they will have an impact on society by the things the create and do as adults.

Project #11 Short Movie

My PLN

Well, all I can say is that my PLN is definitely a work n progress. I have watched the videos, looked at past student PLN's, watched the tutorial and still am somewhat lost as to the benefit of using the PLN. I have an account with Symbaloo and have changed the background and created a few tiles to make access to my blog and the edm310 blog easier from Symbaloo. It is easy to create a tile. I am just confused as to what tiles I need to be creating. Maybe I am making this more difficult than it is. Maybe I am trying to read something into it. The way I understand it, it is just a way to organize websites you use on a regular basis. I would happily take any comments or suggestions as to how to make the PLN useful to this class.

Blog Post #7 - Randy Pausch Last Lecture

I just finished watching the last lecture of Dr. Randy Pausch, what an amazing man! To be faced with the news of cancer and only a short time to live and to be able to continue to have that attitude and response to life. His statement in regard to life being about your reaction is so true! Your personality truly shows in your reaction to the "brick walls" as he discussed. I loved the idea that the brick walls are there to stop the others that don't want the item/idea as much as you. They are there to find out who is truly motivated. I loved that he shared his childhood dreams and that by achieving his dreams, he was able to touch the lives of so many other people. How true it is that when we take the focus off of ourselves and make it about others, life becomes so much more fulfilling and happy. We achieve so much more when we help others. It appears that is the story of his life and what a success it was!

I really liked the lessons that he talked about that he learned from others in his life. I once had a softball coach that had us practice without a ball as well. I never really understood the philosophy behind it until he talked about his football coach. It really is about knowing the fundamentals. It takes the whole team to be a success, not just the one with the ball! I am often asked why I make myself crazy involving my kids in so many sports. It is for the exact reasons that he spoke of. "The head fake" lessons. Children learn so much about teamwork, helping others, playing together, sharing, etc. by being on a team. I also like the idea that he carried the team aspect over into the classroom. I think that students can learn just as much as if not more by working in teams. Everyone sees things in a different way and when exposed to all these different thoughts, it often sparks creativity and enthusiasm. I think that teamwork and group projects are an important part of education. These projects can be incorporated into every aspect of education. I think students learn better and learn more when participating in the process and working with others. When in a group, it is just more fun! It's the head fake lessons, most of the time you don't realize you are learning. You often see it as a time for socializing, yet you are learning. What better way to teach - then when they don't realize they are being taught!

I also liked the fact that he wasn't afraid to try something new. Starting the BVM class and the ETC classes were a risk. No one knew how they would be received. No one knew the outcome. But, he had developed such a relationship with the school and he had such the personality that they were willing to take that risk. And what a great decision that was. I think it would be safe to say that the students amazed him in their abilities. I think this idea could be applied to all classrooms. If we give the students the support and the ability to use their talents without too many restrictions, we will always be amazed at the outcome. I think to often, we get stuck in a rut and we do that which has always been done when it would be much more effective to be open minded and to think outside of the box. I think in regard to technology and the advances that have been made, we as future educators have to be willing to change, we have to be willing to take risks and we have to have faith in our students ability to amaze us!

And, finally, how awesome would it be to know that you have touched as many lives as he has. To have inspired so many people. To have changed the way education is approached. To have been able combine all aspects of education, the right and left side of the brain. To teach without the student knowing that they were learning. I think we live in a hands on society. Children want to be entertained and our jobs as teachers have to change with that mentality. We have to be able to break through the brick walls, whether it be lack of funding, lack of equipment, lack of parental support, lack of administrative support and provide this type of education to them. We have to involve the student, motivate the student, and incorporate technology so they stay entertained and on target. We have to give them the tools and support they need to develop their creativity and as an aside, they will in most cases amaze us and teach us more than we have ever taught them!

C4T

Link to Teacher's Blog


I do agree that we can not teach as we were taught. I realize that education has to change and grow with the technology that is now available. We as teachers have to be able to incorporate technology into our classrooms in order to first hold the students attention and second to prepare them for the world in which they are to become a productive part of. Technology is ever changing and it is a scary thing because you can never be an expert as most teachers feel they should be. I think the answer is to realize that as teachers we just have to be expert learners! We have to be willing to try the new technology, sometimes that may even mean learning from our students. We can't be afraid to try new things! We have to meet the challenge of the future head on and not allow ourselves to hold onto the "old ways" to the detriment of our students. I hope that I can incorporate all that I have learned and will learn in EDM310 in my classroom once I begin to teach! I want to be the teacher that the students think is cool because they are engaged and are learning when they think they are just having fun. I know it will be hard because as a whole society often resists change and there are many teachers with a lot of seniority that will hold out and resist the movement to incorporate more technology into the classroom. They will offer every reason why it won't work and that things are working fine now so why change. I hope to be a strong enough voice to change that attitude and help to move education into the 21st century!

FEBRUARY 20, 2011 10:41 PM


This is my second comment on your blog for the C4T assignment. I loved the title "Serendipity" what a fun word! It invokes creativity just in saying it! As I read the blog and the comments about the video, it made me think back to the video. The video was very inspiring as many of the quotes from the comments of other students said. It really makes you think how something so simple can have such a positive affect. It makes you think about the value of creativity and the importance of fostering it in our students. We don't want our students to become complacent and mundane in their approach to school, to studies and mostly to life. We want and need to inspire them to use all of their brain! Can you imagine the impact we could have on the world if we were to inspire even half of the children to reach their potential! As educators, it is important that we challenge the students and inspire them so they don't become "robots" doing the same thing day after day just because that is what has always been done. I think it is our calling to think outside the box to make school fun so they can see all the possibilities that lie ahead of them! Isn't it crazy how something so simple and can have such impact!

Blog Post #6

I just finished watching Wendy Drexler's video on the Networked Student. I enjoyed it because it was simple and straight forward. It is hard to believe that it was made in 2008. I was completely unaware that all of this technology was even available at that time. The idea of the networked student was new to me as I began this class.

I guess I am still trying to grasp all of it and how to use all of it in the classroom. It is hard to envision all of these changes, my brain wants to remember the classroom of the past that I learned in 20 years ago. I accept the challenge to learn the technology and to continue learning as time goes on. I think that the role of the teacher will always be there, the function may change. The teacher in the future may be more of a moderator that helps the students on individual learning paths. I think the classroom will always exist but maybe not the way it did 20 years ago. We have to embrace the technology and change with our students so that we can keep them engaged and teach them skills not just facts.

I think the idea that was presented in the video of teaching the students to develop a learning network is important as well as the idea of not being afraid to ask. With the technology that is available, the students can be exposed to so much more than I ever was as a student. All I had was an encyclopedia which doesn't even come close to the information that is available on the internet. But, I think the students need to be guided and taught how to use the internet effectively. They need to know it can be used for learning and for meaningful conversation not just for entertainment. All in all, I think teachers and students need to have a learning network available to them, it needs to include the internet and technology as well as human interaction and discussion.


A 7th Grader's PLE

I was totally impressed by the video of this 7th grader. It can be found by clicking on the following link. Welcome to My PLE.

This video really amazed me! These students are really learning skills that they can use for a life time. She didn't just learn about the gecko or the jellyfish, she learned where to get information about it, how to organize that information and how to communicate and share the information! What a lesson! My PLN is a bunch of websites written on sticky notes, the back of envelopes and scraps of paper. How much more efficient would it be for me to have this information organized on a personal page? I think I need to go back to elementary school to learn these skills! As I have been progressing in this class, I have tried to not be overwhelmed and have tried to be open to change but after seeing her PLE and thinking about mine, I realize I am still holding onto the old way of doing things with pen and paper! I will make more of an effort to utilize what I am learning and to incorporate it to make my learning process easier and more efficient!

To use a Smartboard?

Positive Uses of the SmartBoard

After reading the first two articles, I wondered if there was a positive side to using the smart board. These two educators seemed to think the only benefit to the smart board was to make it appear that the school was using technology. They argued that all the smart board did was allow the teacher to have a neat new gadget that enabled her to continue to teach in the "old way" of stand and lecture. It also seemed to argue that the expense was outrageous and the same outcome could be accomplished with the old methods, the tried and true, projectors and computer stations with keyboards.

My assumption after looking over some of the comments to these two articles and the link that I have attached, is that maybe these teachers didn't have significant training on how to use the smart board. It appears that teachers, have very distinct feelings about the smart board, you either love it or hate it. There seems to be a significant argument for both. It appears that it is more successful if the teacher is creative and has enough training to be able to use it effectively. It seems to be successful when it is used interactively and keeps the students involved in the process. They seem to be very successful in math classes and in teaching special needs students, ie the deaf and hard of hearing. If the students don't participate in the lesson, how is the technology beneficial? The use of technology is to involve and engage the students. I think the smart board is just a tool as is all technology. It is not the answer in every situation. If the money is going to be spent to obtain them, take the extra time to train the teachers to use them effectively. If the training isn't going to take place, use the money on something else!